Pipe Issues Blog

Welcome to the Pipe Issues Blog

Welcome to my blog.

North America's underground infrastructure is crumbling at an alarming rate, so smarter, more cost-effective and sustainable practices are needed.

Broader use of PVC pipe would solve this problem and enable municipalities to spend taxpayer dollars more wisely. To do this, local governments and utilities need to modernize outdated procurement practices that ignore corrosion-proof PVC pipe.

Explore our web site and visit my blog to learn about the exceptional performance and environmental attributes of PVC pipe, and why it should be included in every bid for water and wastewater infrastructure. To connect to my blog, bookmark this page or link our Pipe Issues Blog to your RSS feed program.

Buy Your PVC Pipe from Members of the PVC Pipe Association

More than 40,000 North American water and sewer utilities use cost-effective, corrosion-proof PVC pipe today and it has been in service on the continent for more than 60 years.

Founded in 1971, the PVC Pipe Association (PVCPA) serves the engineering, regulatory, public health and standardization communities and is the authoritative source of information on the design and application of gasketed-joint PVC pipe. PVCPA’s technical publications, research and recommended standards are recognized around the world.

The Association assists utilities and consulting engineers in the design, specification and installation of PVC piping systems and provides after-sales technical support. We believe that manufacturers of PVC pipe who are members of PVCPA are responsible producers and that municipalities should specify and buy their PVC pipe from them.

Responsible PVC pipe producers:

•Are committed to providing installation and after-sales support to their customers through their industry association;

•Contribute to collective research, development and testing of PVC pipe to ensure the highest quality and long-term performance possible;

•Work together with their industry association and other stakeholders to answer questions and address issues;

•Recognize the importance of better understanding PVC piping systems through up-to-date technical information, hands-on presentations, and assistance with specifications development and project design through participation in PVCPA, which in turn assists water and sewer utilities;

•Work with their industry association to maintain the required standards and to support certifications development.

Orange County, FL, Requires All Pipe Manufacturers Be Members of their Industry Associations

Only pipe manufacturers that are members of their industry associations can bid on water and sewer projects in Orange County, FL. “This ensures that these companies have the required technical expertise and resources to work with community engineers and that they are committed to after-sales customer service,” says Troy Layton, Utility Construction Division Manager, Orange County.

Update Your PVC Pipe Specifications Today!

Ensure installation and after-sales support from the PVC Pipe Association at no cost to your utility by specifying that the PVC pipe manufacturers who sell to your utility be members of the PVCPA (see Membership Directory on our website for our list of members). Assistance is notprovided to utilities and consulting engineers for water and sewer projects that use PVC pipe purchased from non-members.

Click here for Chapter 3, Section 3114 of Orange County Utilities: Standards and Construction Specifications Manual for an example of how to update your specifications.